In keeping with his earlier announcement of conducting regular public gathering, the state Forest Minister and Palghar District Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik held his second public hearing in Navi Mumbai at Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium in Vashi.
Citizens submitted petitions related to education, healthcare, civic amenities, administrative injustices, and other issues.
The first public hearing was conducted on February 3, 2025, wherein more than 400 petitions were submitted. “The actions taken on these petitions are being communicated to the respective applicants. Notably, 85 petitions related to the police department were received during the first session,” said a personnel from the mInister’s office.
Officials’ informed that almost 65% of the complaints were resolved on the spot, providing immediate relief to the people.
A total of 250 citizens submitted their grievances and petitions, many of which were resolved immediately by instructing the concerned department officials. In multiple cases, Minister Ganesh Naik directly contacted officials via phone calls, giving immediate directives for problem resolution. Pending issues will be addressed within a time-bound framework, and some cases will be resolved through meetings at the ministry and district levels.
The public hearing lasted for approximately eight hours, from 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM. Minister Naik emphasized that citizens’ grievances should not be left unresolved and directed officials to act promptly.
Some of the major decision taken –
Protection for Pre-1995 Houses: The Minister halted unjust actions against houses in Karave and clarified that houses built before 1995 are protected by the state government.
Concerns Over Coastal Road in Belapur: Residents of Belapur Sector 15 opposed CIDCO’s plan to extend the Coastal Road from Kharghar to Nerul Jetty. The issue was discussed with Municipal Corporation’s Additional City Engineer Arvind Shinde and assured residents that the matter would be raised with CIDCO. He also promised to discuss the issue with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to ensure that residential peace is not disrupted.
Improved Civic Amenities in Belapur: The Minister instructed CIDCO to expedite the transfer of land parcels for civic facilities in Belapur and directed municipal officials to follow up aggressively.
Job Security for Contractual Workers: Contractual and daily-wage workers from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the Transport Department submitted a petition demanding permanent employment. Minister Naik acknowledged that these workers had been serving under contract for years, and since the municipal corporation continues to rely on them, they should be made permanent.
Support for Persons with Disabilities: Several differently-abled individuals presented their grievances, the minister ensured immediate assistance for them.
The upcoming sessions are scheduled as follows:
Navi Mumbai: April 4, 2025
Palghar: April 7, 2025
Thane: April 11, 2025
